Current Studies

Age: 18 - 52 yearsGender: Female The primary purpose is to provide a mechanism for identifying patients with menstrually-related mood disorder (MRMD) who can participate in a variety of separate protocols. Those diagnosed with MRMD will be invited to participate in additional companion protocols.

Age: 0 - 80 yearsGender: Any The purpose of this study is to learn more about three kidney diseases called nephrotic syndrome: Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), Minimal Change Disease (MCD), and Membranous Nephropathy (MN). By collecting health information and laboratory samples from individuals who have these diseases and by making this information available to researchers, we hope to gain new knowledge about these diseases and to find better treatments for them.

Age: 18 - 65 yearsGender: Any The GO Health Center is currently recruiting participants for general screenings to be added to our clinic registry. This will allow us to screen the registry for participants eligible for all our current and future studies. Participants can be screened for multiple studies at once instead of scheduling screenings for each individual study.

Age: 9 - 14 yearsGender: Female The UNC Girls Health Study is designed to explore how girls adapt to the many new challenges of adolescence. We are interested in understanding how girls' friendships, family relationships, health risk behaviors, and emotional and physical reactions may be related to their future development. Your participation will help us learn more about the connection between adolescents' mental and physical health.

Age: 9 - 16 yearsGender: Any This research study is designed to examine how the brain responds to stress in adolescents using state of the art methods for clinical assessments and brain imaging. Participants in this study need to have a brother, sister or parent with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Age: 25 - 64 yearsGender: Female My Body My Test is a research study looking at ways to make it easier for women to complete cervical cancer screening. Participants in this study will receive no-cost cervical cancer screening at a local clinic (if they want to) and will complete 3 phone surveys. Some participants will also be randomized (chosen like a flip of a coin) to try a new and easy kind of at-home cervical cancer screening kit.

Age: 18 - 54 yearsGender: Female The goal of the Compare-UF study is to help determine the best methods for treating uterine fibroids so that women and their health care providers can make informed decisions about treatment options. As a participant, once you enroll into the study, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire once every year up to 4 years. You will also be asked to provide a blood sample, but this is optional. Your doctor can refer you to this study, or you can refer yourself.

Age: 18 - 99 yearsGender: Female PPD ACT is a research app for women who have ever experienced postpartum depression (PPD) or psychosis (PPP.) The goal of the study is to improve detection, treatment and prevention of PPD and PPP by finding the genetic basis of these disorders. Women who participate will download the PPD ACT app, fill out questionnaires and if eligible, submit a saliva sample.

Age: 8 - 12 yearsGender: Any To test whether children with ADHD are impaired in the ability to flexibly adapt brain network organization in response to shifting cognitive demands during the exertion of cognitive control, by: 1) relating brain network dynamics in children with ADHD and typically developing (TD) children; and 2) assessing changes in network dynamics resulting from stimulant administration in children with ADHD, and how those changes relate to behavioral and symptom improvements.

Age: 18 - 45 yearsGender: Female The purpose of this research study is to produce a better understanding of how pregnancy impacts the microbiota-gut-brain axis including the composition of the gut microbiota (the types of bacteria that live in the gut), the system that creates serotonin, and the stress system, particularly how the stress system adapts to handling psychological stressors. The goal of this study is to better understand how these three systems impact one another and may influence the risk of developing Postpartum Depression (PPD).

Age: 18 - 99 yearsGender: Any UNC is conducting a research study that is looking to compare oral Truvada as PrEP with a long-acting injectable medication Cabotegravir in HIV-uninfected men and transgender women who have sex with men. This will require taking oral medication daily and receiving periodic injections. The study requires several visits.

Age: 18 - 44 yearsGender: Any The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is seeking volunteers for a research study testing the efficacy of the FDA approved medication bupropion in reducing binge drinking episodes. Bupropion is currently used to treat depression, but recently, studies have suggested that bupropion might be helpful in the treatment of binge drinking. The study will be "blinded" which means that neither you nor the study staff will know if you are taking bupropion or placebo. Participants will take the study medication for 3 months and attend 10 visits.

Age: 45 - 60 yearsGender: Female The purpose of our study is to understand the role of estrogen fluctuation in combination with stressful life events in altering the normal biological responses to stress and, in so doing, triggering depression and anxiety symptoms. We also seek to examine whether stabilizing the estrogen fluctuation will have a beneficial effect on the biological responses to stress and mood symptoms.

Age: 0 - 5 yearsGender: Any The goal of this study is to further learn how a healthy human brain changes and works, specifically at a very young age. This study will help us learn more about children's mental, emotional and behavioral development, as well as understanding the possible causes of learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders. This will be done by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the child's brain during various times of development. Not only is MRI a safe and non-invasive procedure, but there will be no medication or sedation used for this study at any point.

Age: 13 - 30 yearsGender: Male The purpose of this research study is to determine if sulforaphane, a nutritional supplement made from broccoli sprout and seed extracts, is safe and effective for treating symptoms of autism in young men with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants will take sulforaphane or placebo tablets for a total of 12 weeks, and caregivers will complete behavioral rating scales related to autism. We are also studying the effects of taking sulforaphane on the gut microbiome (bacteria in the digestive tract).

Age: 18 - 45 yearsGender: Any The purpose of this research study is to help us understand which people who have asthma and who are allergic house dust mites, are more likely to have increased asthma symptoms a few hours after inhaling dust mites. If you have this drop in lung function, you may be invited to participate in other studies non-steroidal medication for asthma attacks.

Age: 18 - 50 yearsGender: Any Researchers at UNC and Duke are evaluating a new talk therapy. They are looking for adults who are not currently taking any psychiatric medications and/or not currently in psychotherapy and are experiencing symptoms of low motivation and pleasure to participate in this study. Eligible participants will receive up to 15 therapy sessions from a Duke clinician at no cost in addition to other compensation.

Age: 40 - 85 yearsGender: Male Patients with previous negative prostate biopsy, but still considered at risk for prostate cancer may be eligible to take part in a study where they will have have further tests performed along with their scheduled repeat prostate biopsy. These research performed tests are being evaluated in hopes of making more accurate diagnosis and reduce the need for repeat biopsies.

Age: 10 - 17 yearsGender: Male The purpose of this study is to measure the safety and effectiveness of Exenatide Once Weekly (EQW) in children and teens with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). This medication is injected one time per week to help manage Hemoglobin A1c and potentially help with weight loss. EQW is already approved for use in adults to manage T2DM.

Age: 40 - 70 yearsGender: Any The purpose of this research study is to evaluate changes in liver protein function in patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) compared to healthy volunteers and non-ADPKD patients with kidney disease. ADPKD is a common genetic disease where fluid-filled cysts develop and grow in both kidneys, leading to kidney failure. It affects about 1 out of every 1000 people worldwide. In some patients, the cysts also develop in the liver, causing some degree of liver impairment, which can have various ill consequences. There are many ways that the liver cysts could cause liver problems. Our study will test if the molecules (e.g. bile acids, coproporphyrins) in your blood and urine will be increased/decreased and if certain genes are different in different populations (i.e. healthy people vs patients). This will be determined from blood and collecting urine. Finally, scientists on our team will run analyses to detect the differences.

Age: 18 - 35 yearsGender: Any This is a neuroimaging study looking at the brain's response to a milkshake and a drug for Type 2 diabetes. The goal is to see how a Type 2 diabetes drug affects how hungry a person feels. This study accepts healthy volunteers only.

Age: 40 - 90 yearsGender: Any This study aims to establish a research network and registry for persons with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) in order to characterize the disease and aid in future clinical trials.

Age: 18 - 99 yearsGender: Any The purpose of this research study is to compare three different FDA approved treatments for fecal incontinence (also known as accidental bowel leakage) in men and women in terms of how well the treatments work, how safe the treatments are, and now much the treatments cost. The treatments are biofeedback therapy, sacral nerve electrical stimulation (SNS), or dextranomer injections.

Age: 50 - 85 yearsGender: Any In this study, we are comparing five different fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) to determine how they compare with a doctor's findings during a routine colonoscopy. The FIT is a test that determines if there is hidden blood in the stool and is an alternative to colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening when done annually.

Age: 18 - 99 yearsGender: Any This study will evaluate differences and effectiveness of two treatments on bladder cancer. Patients with newly diagnosed High Grade Non Muscle Invasive Bladder cancer who meet qualifications will be treated with standard BCG treatment or with Tokyo-172 BCG.

Age: 18 - 99 yearsGender: Female The purpose of this study is to learn more about how experiences early in life influence children's brain development. The brain develops very quickly during the first two years of life. Understanding how early experiences help to shape the brain during infancy is important for improving children's long-term physical, emotional and behavioral health. This study will provide valuable information that we hope will inform future programs to help parents and educators better support children's early brain development and their long-term health.

Age: 18 - 30 yearsGender: Female African American women are currently underrepresented in psychological research studies. Please help us start to address this problem. UNC's Psychology department is looking for African American women aged 18 to 30 to participate in a research study about how people process social information. The study consists of completing a series of online questionnaires that will take 30 minutes, and one experimental session at UNC's campus that lasts 2 hours. The study pays $35 for completion.

Age: 12 - 14 yearsGender: Female Starting at puberty, girls are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with a mood disorder as boys. The goal of the EVOLVE study is to understand this gender disparity by examining the relationship between hormones, stress and mood in girls during the pubertal transition. This research study will involve mood assessments, hormone measurements, and an electroencephalogram (EEG) to look at brain activity.

Age: 18 - 30 yearsGender: Any The purpose of this study is to understand individuals' body and mood responses to various news images. As a research participant, you will view news images on a computer while you wear electrodes that will enable us to record changes in your heart rate. These electrodes are simply stickers attached to wires. You will also be asked to rate your mood while viewing the images. The computer session should take about 45 minutes to complete. Next, you will complete questionnaires on a computer. These questionnaires should take about 45 minutes to complete. You will be compensated $20 for your participation.

Age: 18 - 75 yearsGender: Any This study is to help patients diagnosed with SLE that is currently on therapy but still having flares. The purpose is to decrease the flares and if subjects are on steroids decrease dose while on study.

The 1289-0032 Study: Exploring Early Interventions for People at Risk of PsychosisDetails

Drug or Biologic

Mental Health

Age: 16 - 30 yearsGender: Any Patients eligible for this study may have experienced symptoms such as: • Trouble thinking clearly or concentrating • Believing or hearing things that others do not • Losing control of your thoughts • Feeling nervous or anxious • Feeling that others are "out to get you" • Having trouble with family and friends • Having thoughts that scare you or the people around you Because you and others have experienced symptoms like these, local doctors are conducting the 1289-0032 Research Study. In this study, doctors want to evaluated the safety and effectiveness of an investigational drug and compare it to placebo, which looks like the investigational drug but contains no active medication. The investigational drug is not approved to treat any mental health or medical condition. The results of this study will provide more information about the investigational drug and whether it could one day be used to help people who have experienced symptoms similar to yours.

Age: 18 - 60 yearsGender: Any Mucus plugging is one of the causes of an asthma exacerbation, or "attack". With this study, we are asking people who have asthma which requires daily medication to keep in in control to inhale a strong salt water solution. We will use a lung scan to see how your lungs clear the mucus with the salt solution inhalations.

Age: 18 - 99 yearsGender: Any The purpose of this study is to evaluate how two specific proteins express themselves in the mouth when inflammation is induced. Understanding the expression of the proteins will help give insight to the underlying causes of periodontal disease. Ultimately this discovery may lead to new and improved ways to diagnose and treat periodontal disease in the future.

Age: 18 - 99 yearsGender: Any This study is for patients diagnosed with Primary IgA Nephropathy, a kidney disease . it involves research and is conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of a drug called Nefecon (with the active ingredient, budesonide) The purpose of the study is to look at: • How well Nefecon works for the treatment of kidney disease and more specific for patients with the disease "primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy", called IgAN; and • How safe and effective Nefecon is compared to placebo.

Age: 18 - 19 yearsGender: Any The purpose of this research study is to test whether individual tendency toward impulsive behaviors relates to alcohol drinking, whether connections between certain brain areas predict the association between these behaviors, and how these factors are influenced by genes and childhood environment.

Age: 19 - 30 yearsGender: Any The goal of this research study is to help young adults with Type 1 diabetes improve both their blood sugar management and their weight at the same time. A total of 84 adults will participate in this study. If participating, you will be in this study for about ten and a half months. This study will compare three specific diets (low fat/reduced calorie, low carbohydrate/reduced calorie or a Mediterranean-based eating plan).

Age: 60 - 99 yearsGender: Any To assess the safety and tolerability of pimavanserin compared to placebo in adult and elderly subjects with neuropsychiatric symptoms related to neurodegenerative disease

Age: 0 - 0 yearsGender: Any The primary objective of this study is to evaluate if the study drug when given to infants (6-18 months who are at a higher risk of developing asthma) for 10 days monthly for two consecutive treatment years can increase the time to the occurrence of the first wheezing episode during a third observation year while off of study drug therapy.

Age: 18 - 64 yearsGender: Any This study is looking at combining 2 medications to evaluate the ability of the combination to decrease the size of the latent reservoir. We will test the use of an antibody called VRC07-523LS to stimulate the immune system to fight HIV infection. We will give the drug Vorinostat (VOR) to stimulate the release of HIV from the latent reservoir. Previous research studies show that VOR has the ability to stimulate some non-active HIV infected cells to become active and release HIV virus. The purpose of this study is to: • Evaluate the safety of VOR in combination with VRC07-523LS • Evaluate the safety of two series of a VRC07-523LS infusion followed by multiple oral doses of VOR • Determine if combining VRC07-523LS and VOR can have an impact on the size of the latent reservoir.

Age: 12 - 17 yearsGender: Any The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of an investigational vaccine to prevent allergic reactions in adolescent subjects with peanut allergy.

Age: 40 - 75 yearsGender: Any The goal of this study is to understand if an investigational medication reduces the number of exacerbations you have in a year. Participants will either be given the active medication or a placebo (inactive solution that does not contain medication) as an injection given every two weeks in clinic for one year.

Age: 18 - 99 yearsGender: Any The purpose of this research study is to evaluate effectiveness and potential side effects of taking the test medicine versus a placebo to prevent recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). The test medicine, CP101, has not been approved by the FDA to treat or prevent recurrent CDI; its use in this study is investigational. By comparing people's responses to the placebo and to the test medicine being studied, researchers can tell whether the test medicine is having any benefit to prevent recurrent CDI.

Age: 18 - 99 yearsGender: Any The main purpose of this research is to investigate whether treatment with Krill Phospholipids Concentrate (AKBM-3031) also known as Krill Oil is able to replenish the omega-3 deficiency associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE). Omega-3 is an essential nutrient that is important in preventing and managing heart disease. In addition, this study is also being done to determine whether taking the Krill Oil has further positive effects in SLE patients with regards to slowing down the progression of and/or preventing disease flares. SLE is a disease that affects the immune system and can affect any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs).

Age: 18 - 0 yearsGender: Any Scientists are searching for new treatments to reduce the risk of kidney and heart problems in people with kidney disease. There is now a new medication called empagliflozin which was originally developed to treat high blood sugar in people with diabetes but has recently been shown to have beneficial effects on both the heart and kidney.

Age: 12 - 99 yearsGender: Any The primary objective is to compare (using a reader study) the sensitivity of Tomo-E compared to radiography of the wrist in detecting wrist fractures. The secondary aim is to determine the specificity of Tomo-E compared to radiography of the wrist in detecting wrist fractures.

Age: 60 - 85 yearsGender: Any The purpose of our research is to obtain a better understanding of hearing. During the course of the study, you will sit in a soundproof booth and listen to sounds presented over headphones. When a target sound is heard, you will be prompted to make a response by pressing a button on a response box.

Age: 0 - 99 yearsGender: Any This is an observational study that uses clinical data and biological specimens (like blood) collected on a large group of participants with and without kidney disease. Researchers are trying to learn about the causes and markers of kidney disease.